CONNECTED FOR BUSINESS

Taunton: the best connected town in the South West

Best connected in the South West

Taunton is the best connected place in the South West for business, living and skills.We are at the heart of the region, with excellent transport connections. You can enjoy the excellent road and rail links to the South East and Midlands, as well as international links for importers and exporters via Exeter and Bristol airports. Positioned in the heart of the South West, Taunton is on junctions 25 and 26 of the M5: Bristol and Exeter are only a short 40 minute drive away, whilst you can reach London in under 2 and a half hours.

We are proud of our rail links, which can get you to London Paddington in just 100 minutes.

Physically and digitally connected

Two international airports are also easy to access: both Bristol and Exeter airports offer flights across the country and to international destinations. But we aren’t resting on our laurels, and we have several traffic and transport schemes underway in order to remain competitive. This includes a multi-million investment in Taunton Railway Station, which will undergo major enhancements over the next two years – you can read more here about Taunton’s Vision.

We know how important technological connections are to business success. Taunton currently benefits from 20mb Superfast Broadband and this is being rolled out to the rest of Somerset by the end of 2017.

minutes to London Paddington - superb rail links.

hours drive to Birmingham - great road links.

minutes to Bristol or Exeter International Airports.

Taunton’s Business Community and Economy

Taunton is home to businesses of all size

Taunton is home to a diverse selection of businesses, from micro businesses and start-ups, to large global companies and corporates. The list includes:

Hi-tech, scientific and advanced engineering industries – including GSI Novanta, Advanced Amphenol, and the South West Pathology Service.

Professional services – including the national HQ of accountancy firms, solicitors and architects.

Retail – Taunton has a wide catchment area and attracts shoppers from all over the region

A real business community

Taunton is home to a number of well known businesses – the UK Hydrographic Office is based here, along with the head offices of Debenhams, Western Provident Association and Viridor. Major manufacturers are also based here including Reylon, Swallowfield, RIGID and more.This diversity helps to create our thriving business culture in Taunton, with sectors working together to form clusters of networks. It’s a great place to do business! Find out more about our business community.

Hinkley Point C

The creation of the new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point C will open up new supply opportunities in the area – Taunton is set to become a major business centre for Hinkley related businesses and suppliers. In addition, Hinkley will also create new jobs – during construction around 5,000 people will work on site. Visit the Hinkley supply chain portal to find out more about supply opportunities and to register your business for free.

A skilled local workforce

Taunton is home to a skilled local workforce – the number of people with qualifications is well above the national average. Around 112,000 people live in the borough of Taunton. Of these:

61% are of working age

1 in 3 are qualified to degree level

86% possess NVQ Level 2 skills or above.

A new University Centre for Somerset (UCS) was launched in March 2017, offering higher education learning opportunities that are focussed on local business needs. UCS is building strong links with our employers to ensure that the highly qualified workforce of today and tomorrow are available locally.

The workforce is knowledgeable, capable and loyal: 81% of the people in employment that live in the area also work in the area and 76% of jobs in the area are fulfilled by people that live in the area.

Taunton is also set to grow. We are one of the South West’s fastest growing locations, with a population expected to increase by 25%, approximately 85,000 people by 2028 – which means you will have access to the people you need to grow your business.

All this is backed up by high-quality training and education provision throughout the town, helping to develop talent and meet skills needs across industry. Find out more about how Taunton’s skilled workforce can help meet your needs.

%

of the population is in paid employment

%

have Level 2 NVQ or higher

%

both live and work in local area

“We needed…a property that reflected well on the business and in a location with first class road links”.

Taunton based Mundy Veneer is one of the UK’s premium merchants of veneer, buying and selling a huge range of natural wood veneers from across the World for the UK market. Co-owner of the company Alison Mundy explains why Taunton is the best connected location for their business.

In 2013, following 15 years of sustained growth, our company had reached a point where we needed additional space.

We had outgrown our original 6,000 sqft industrial unit and needed at least 14,000 sqft of production, office and warehousing space in a property that reflected well upon the business, and in a location with first class road links. We chose Chelston Business Park in Wellington, located a stone’s throw from Junction 26 of the M5.

Being in Somerset is great for Mundy Veneer: the storage and handling of a high quality product like veneer requires affordable and flexible space. We have the luxury of premises that are exactly suited to our needs, and yet we’re only a train journey away from our customers and buyers in London and the South East”.

Alison Mundy, Mundy Veneer

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